A caretaker attends to a shackled white elephant in Naypyidaw, Myanmar. Kings and leaders in the predominantly Buddhist nation have traditionally treasured the rare albinos, whose appearances are believed to herald good fortune, including power and political change.

Villagers rescue a dog that was carried away by floodwaters in the farming
town of Novaleta, about 15 miles outside Manila. Torrential rain paralyzed large parts
of the Philippine capital as neck-deep water swept through homes.

Three-year-old Kitara Acker tumbles head over heels as she slides down an
inflatable water slide during the Back to School Splash Bash at Christ the King Lutheran
Church and School in Millington, Tenn.

Sara Fleming (left) and Tricia Quigley-Regan paddle their
entry "Barnacle Babes and the Big Blue Whale," in the "Anything That Floats" regatta off
Key Largo, Fla. The race challenged entrants to compete in whatever buoyant vessel they can build.

An Indian migrant laborer and his children take cover from the monsoon rain on a
roadside in Kolkata.

Shelter in a storm:

An Indian migrant laborer and his children take cover from the monsoon rain on a roadside in Kolkata.

Photo: Dibyangshu Sarkar, AFP/Getty Images

Shelter in a storm: An Indian migrant laborer and his children... Photo-5063743.68444 - Beaumont Enterprise

Image 9 of 16

Is it time to flee yet?

Ash, smoke and steam rise from 1,117-meter Mount Sakurajima at
Kagoshima in Japan's southern island of Kyushu. The volcano erupted an ash plume up to
5,000 meters into the air.

Is it time to flee yet?

Ash, smoke and steam rise from 1,117-meter Mount Sakurajima at Kagoshima in Japan's southern island of Kyushu. The volcano erupted an ash plume up to 5,000 meters into the air.

Photo: Japan Meteorological Agency, AFP/Getty Images

Is it time to flee yet? Ash, smoke and steam rise from... Photo-5063744.68444 - Beaumont Enterprise

Image 10 of 16

Caution, wide load:

A Kashmiri Muslim carries belongings of Hindu pilgrims on a
mountainous road in Sangam, India. Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims trek
through treacherous peaks in revolt-torn Kashmir, along icy streams, glacier-fed
lakes and frozen passes, to reach the Amarnath cave. The cave, at an altitude 12,729
feet, holds the Shiva Lingam, a phallus-shaped ice stalagmite symbolizing the Hindu god
Shiva.

near the damaged cargo ship Sulpicio Express after it collided with
the ferry St. Thomas Aquinas the night before off Talisay, Philippines. At least 55 people were killed, and dozens are still missing after the crash, which occurred in almost total darkness. The Thomas Aquinas, with about 870 aboard, sunk quickly, but most passengers jumped overboard in time and were rescued.

Alysia Johnson Montano of the United States lies on the track after
diving across the finish line in the women's 800 meters at the IAAF World Athletics
Championships in Moscow. Although she led for part of the race, she wilted at
the end and finished fourth.